The journey of St. James the Apostle to build affordable housing in Perth took a giant step forward when the town council voted to transfer surplus land for a 15-unit building, as proposed by Carebridge Community Support, the Saumure Group, and Community Housing Initiative Perth (CHIP).
St. James took the initiative two years ago to establish CHIP as representative of the wider Perth community. Since then, CHIP members have worked with the town and Lanark County, overcoming setbacks and obstacles keep the project alive.
The council’s vote to transfer the land allowed the CHIP group just enough time to meet a deadline for a proposal to Lanark County for capital funding of up to $1.5 million for groups wishing to create new affordable housing.
The Rev. Canon Ken Davis, rector of St. James, says while 15 units are a ‘drop in the bucket’ compared to the number of people waiting for help, it’s a tremendous start for marginalized residents.
He says people don’t realize how desperate the situation is—like people without proper housing keeping warm overnight in ATM foyers at local banks or living in their cars in parking lots.
He also says it’s frustrating when rent subsidies are available from the county, but the funds can’t be used because of the lack of available housing.
“Our hope is to help town leaders see the needs in Perth for those who don’t have a safe and affordable place to live,” Davis says. “Once we succeed, with cooperation from the town, the county and the neighbourhood, we hope it can be a model for others.”
CHIP Co-Chair Dave Kroetsch of St. James says the group is grateful for the town’s decision. “Mayor Judy Brown and Councillors Gary Waterfield and Isabel-Anne McRae have supported our cause for close to a year and a half. It’s another step towards providing safe and healthy housing for some of the hundreds of residents in need, including single seniors, those on disability pensions or single-parent families.”
Following the council’s decision, Carebridge Community Support technically became owner of the land at 63 Halton St, with the Saumure Group as builders and CHIP as advisors and fundraisers.
An extensive planning process has begun to address public concerns, drainage, traffic, the environment, and zoning to prepare a final site plane for town approval.
Robert Eves, CEO of Carebridge, says there has been community opposition to the size and type of the project. “To ensure a successful outcome, it’s imperative we have robust public consultation and that we establish a strong partnership with the municipality.”
Eves explains that 15 units is the break-even point and the more units built, the less expensive each unit is. One contributing factor is that Perth council did not support CHIP’s original request for a 20-year suspension of taxes for the building. For the similar-purpose building on Chambers Street in Smiths Falls, supported by St. John the Evangelist, the Smiths Falls council approved a 20-year tax abatement to help with funding.
Lanark County’s 10-year Housing and Homelessness Plan provided a set of recommendations on incentives including: full or partial waivers of development fees, expediting development reviews and waiving or reducing property taxes for a period of time.
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